Texas Leads in Total Registrations, California in Cars, SUVs

Although there are skeptics who think the media buzz about the imminent arrival of new diesels in U.S. showrooms was overinflated hype, data compiled by the Diesel Technology Forum, a diesel industry advocacy group, shows otherwise, and indicates demand for diesel vehicles may just be starting to ramp up in the U.S.

While current diesel sales and registrations from 2010-2012, the period compiled by the DTF, represented less than 3 percent of total vehicle registrations, the rate of growth outpaced overall vehicle sales by a considerable margin, indicating pent-up consumer demand for new diesel models, of which there are currently relatively few in the context of the broader automotive market.

For total diesel vehicle registrations for the study period, including pickups, passenger cars, and SUVs, Texas leads with 775,395 vehicles, California coming in second at 572,303, and Florida taking third with 292,692. Taking pickups out of the equation, California leads with 84,106 vehicles, and Texas taking second with 64,272. For diesel pickups alone, Texas takes the lead again with 697,904, California coming in second at 461,035.

Although small in overall numbers, Wyoming shows the greatest percentage market penetration for diesels, with 10.5 percent of the overall vehicle market and 23.1 percent of the pickup market. Utah is the second most popular market for diesel pickups with 19.4 percent market share.